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Long, senior pastor, of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, was sued by in 2010 by Anthony Flagg, Spencer LeGrande, Jamal Parris and Maurice Robinson, who alleged the bishop used his influence, trips, gifts and jobs to coerce them into sexual relations.

In 2011, the case was settled, then dismissed.

Long declined to answer specific questions about the case, citing terms of the settlement.

When the case first broke, Long said he felt like he was in a chess game. He wanted to say more to his congregation but was advised not to by lawyers and others.

Harvey made it clear that he knew Long before the scandal. When he first moved to Atlanta, New Birth was the first church he visited. He said it was hard to wrap his head around the allegations against Long.

The timing is probably not coincidental. Long has written a new book, “The Untold Story: A Story of Adversity, Pain and Resilience.”

He said he fell into the celebrity trap and was surrounded by people , who may have had other motives.

The case, he said, took a toll of his family and the stress nearly broke up his marriage. He told members of his church one Sunday that times were so dark that he once considered suicide.

“When you’re going through something, the shouts of your haters seem to be louder and more multiplied than the people who are with you,” Long said.

Resigning from his church was never an option, although attendance has fallen. He also said that he still believed marriage was between a man and a woman, something he has always stated.